Sophie Goes To Mexico City

Sophie discovered that Mexico City is a bustling cosmopolitan metropolis

Sophie returned to North America, this time skipping the United States in favor of Mexico City, the capital, business center and most important city in Mexico. The country in recent years has been under attack by U.S. President Donald Trump for bringing crime to America and for feeding off the country’s welfare system among other things he fabricates for applause.

Of course like most of what Trump says, the opposite is true. Sophie discovered that Mexico City is a bustling cosmopolitan metropolis that is culturally sophisticated and filled with charming, friendly people. Art is everywhere and takes shape in every form throughout this vast city. With the agreeable exchange rates, shopping in the large department stores and small boutiques is as enjoyable as it gets. Because of this, Sophie took her entire collection of LUC8K handmade leather bags and accessories.

Sophie stayed at the Presidente Intercontinental Mexico City

A business hotel located in the upscale Polanco neighborhood. Being larger than most occupants she was immediately impressed with the spacious two-level lobby with soaring ceilings and the colorful ritual artisan works throughout the lobby. Skulls, animals, weapons, masks and any other thing imaginable were covered with layers of colorful paints and fabrics with traditional symbols dating back centuries. A large lobby bar was crowded with businessmen and women and restaurants lined the exterior of the room. It was a lively and inviting place to be and Sophie stopped for a drink and some conversation before going to her room.

She was equally impressed with her room high above the trees. It had a direct view of Auditorio Nacional, one of the best-known concert halls in the city. It was graduation day and it seemed that every school in the city used the auditorium to hand out diplomas as there was a constant flow of students and their proud parents in and out of the building for hours.

But it was time to shop. Sophie took her bespoke leather LUC8K Shopper and Tote handbags. She even considered taking her LUC8K canvas bag but then she figured she would have no place to pack her LUC8K leather belt and her clothes on her return flight.

Her first stop was at Palacio de Hierro Polanco, the premier shopping mall in the city where she bought fragrances and clothes. She had lunch at La Zaranda Miravalle, in the center of a beautiful courtyard surrounded by boutiques featuring artisan Mexican products. She nourished her body with mole poblano and afterward filled her LUC8K bags with handmade goods.

Walking the streets she passed large squares and grand historic buildings that serve as government offices and museums. The streets were lively and active.

Sophie had dinner at Villa Maria Restaurant nearby where she feasted on carne asada, tacos de prime rib and enchiladas de la hacienda. The restaurant is also famous for its huge list of tequilas and its supersized margaritas, which of course Sophie had with her dinner. The place is also known for the live Mariachi band that performs during dinner. Sophie discovered that she really likes the music. The musicianship and singing are outstanding and it is extremely emotional, like opera for common people. Mariachi bands perform on the streets throughout the city.

The next day Sophie discovered that despite being one of the world’s largest metropolises, Mexico City has plenty of parks. The most celebrated was near the hotel, the “Bosque de Chapultepec” (Chapultepec Forest). With nearly 1,700 acres it is one of world’s largest and most visited city parks in the world. It’s so large that the mass amount of trees literally serves as the “lungs” of the metropolitan area by replenishing oxygen throughout the city and beyond.

The park is also quite bucolic. It serves as a refuge for migratory birds has important cultural and historical landmarks. Much of the park remains in rural state but part of it contains several of the city’s most important museums and the Chapultepec Zoo (which Sophie avoided). There’s a lake not far from the entrance and small foot trails take you deep into the park. Sophie at times forgot she was in a large city.

Mexico City is filled with museums but when you only have a short time there is one must-see stop: The Frida Kahlo Museum. The spacious house with a large peaceful courtyard garden was Kahlo’s family residence, where she lived with another great artist, her husband, Diego Rivera. The two had a famously volatile relationship filled with infidelity. The rooms contained the works and personal items of Kahlo and Rivera and showed how wealthy bohemian artists lived in the early- to mid-20th century. Sophie liked Kahlo, particularly her staunch feminist views.

Throughout the day Sophie walked the neighborhoods and visited local shops, stopped at the markets, had lunch at a traditional family restaurant before leaving for an evening flight.

As her taxi took her to the airport with her LUC8K bags filled to the brim, she couldn’t help but wonder how wrong Donald Trump is about the Mexican people and just about everything else.